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A 9-1-1 Planning Committee has officially approved the consolidation of 9-1-1 communications in Lucas County. The vote was passed 4-1. “This is a win for the community,” county commissioner Gary Byers said.

The “no” vote came from Springfield Township trustee Andy Glenn, who said the vote was premature. Glenn said he’s quite concerned over the up-front costs, despite the estimated countywide savings of roughly $5 million a year.

“Four of those jurisdictions that I represent are not going to be able to afford the bill proposed under the current funding model and that is something I’ve been trying to get the board to address all the way through this process, and so far it hasn’t been addressed,” Glenn said.

This move means 9-1-1 dispatchers from Sylvania, Sylvania Township, Maumee, Oregon and the Lucas County Sheriff’s Office will move to the emergency services building in downtown Toledo.

Here’s what happens next: a regional council of governments is formed, comprising seven people to represent the entire county. They’re tasked with forming the new 9-1-1 entity, which will likely take a year to 18 months.

One thing Glenn wants the council to consider is introducing a county-wide property tax to foot the bill at the beginning. “I believe in smaller government, but 9-1-1 is something that is needed by these jurisdictions and I think that when you look at what your property taxes should go to fund, this would be one of those things,” Glenn said.

The 9-1-1 Planning Committee believes this will streamline emergency responses and increase public safety. All 9-1-1 calls would be handled through one center with one set of emergency response policies.

Toledo’s 9-1-1 center is fully staffed 24/7, answering 82% of Lucas County’s 911 calls per year. While smaller towns like Maumee and Sylvania only account for 2% of the county’s calls, leaders believe the merge would alleviate the operational and funding disparities between Toledo and the five smaller municipalities.